Bars and restaurants will now close at midnight and until 7:00 a.m. local (04:00 GMT) in the regions most affected in Greece by the Covid-19 after the increase in the number of cases of the new coronavirus in recent days, decided on Friday. government. " This measure will be valid until August 24, " Secretary of State for Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias told the media.
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Among the most affected regions are the region of Attica, department of Athens, the region of Thessaloniki (north), Crete (south) as well as some islands, including Santorini, Paros, Antiparos, Corfu, Myconos, and the islands of the Saronic Gulf near Athens, Aegina, Ydra and Spetses. In Paros and Antiparos, the measures are stricter: suspension of all parties, ban on gatherings of more than nine people and compulsory wearing of the mask inside and outside.
Nikos Hardalias called on " young people to be particularly careful, especially when returning from vacation ", stressing that " the risk of infecting their parents or grandparents is great ". “ You are not invulnerable, be careful, ” he advised, recommending wearing the mask for a week after returning from vacation.
Gatherings are limited to a maximum of 50 people in worst-affected regions like Athens and Thessaloniki, according to Nikos Hardalias. Greece is still one of the countries least affected by the epidemic compared to other European countries. However, the authorities are concerned about a significant increase in the number of cases, rising daily to more than 200. The majority of cases are recorded in urban centers, Athens and Thessaloniki. In total the country has 6,381 cases since the detection of the virus at the end of February in the country and 221 deaths. Before the opening of the tourist season in mid-June, the country had only a few dozen cases daily.
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An extraordinary meeting of health authorities under the aegis of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took place on Friday morning to discuss the new measures. " We especially call on young people to be careful so that we are not forced to take drastic measures that will have economic consequences, " Kyriakos Mitsotakis said after the meeting.